Can you recommend me any good Australian book (fiction , essay...) ?
It will help us to immerse in the Australian culture , before arriving there

These are books are novels written by Australian authors and set in Australia, read by me - an Englishwoman who has lived in Wales for most of my life.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville
The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
Dirt Music by Tim Winton
A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute.

Hope this helps.

The rabit proof fence from Doris Pilkington will give you a good insight how the aboriginals and their children were treated in the 30. It is a true story.
Mutant Message Down Under from Marlo Morgan will give you an intressting journey through the Outback.
Probably you know The thorn birds from Collen Mccullough for some fiction.

I've heard it said that there's more culture in a tub of youghurt than here in Australia - pretty funny, but untrue, so I did a google > australian books and there were 1.6 million pages I could turn to.

The ABC radio came up with a top 20 list http://www.abc.net.au/radio/book/default.htm

And here's the voters choice top 20.
"Cloudstreet" - Tim Winton
"A Fortunate Life" - AB Facey
"Dirt Music" - Tim Winton
"My Brother Jack" - George Johnston
"The Magic Pudding" - Norman Lindsay
"The Tree of Man" - Patrick White
"Seven Little Australians" - Ethel Turner
"The Fortunes of Richard Mahony" - Henry Handel Richardson
"Tomorrow When the War Began" - John Marsden
"My Place" - Sally Morgan
"Power Without Glory" - Frank Hardy
"Power of One" - Bryce Courtenay
"Oscar and Lucinda" - Peter Carey
"The Harp in the South" - Ruth Park
"Snugglepot and Cuddlepie" - May Gibbs
"Eucalyptus" - Murray Bail
"The Idea of Perfection" - Kate Grenville
"The Ancient Future" - Traci Harding
"I Can Jump Puddles" - Alan Marshall
"Voss" - Patrick White

I'll add the book that I'm re-reading to the list - "True History of the Kelly Gang" by Peter Carey and particularly as Ned Kelly was such an important figure in Australia in the 1870's (OK I'm a "Ned Nut" - LOL)

If you'd like to "immerse in the Australian culture" you'd better delay the trip for a few years as there's so much to read and then you'd be better read than most Aussies.

And don't forget the 1973 Nobel Laureate Patrick White..... There are some outstanding Australian films, as well.

I'd like to remove one of the books from the ABC list:
"Power of One" - Bryce Courtenay
It was written about life in South Africa around the 1950's and onwards and then re-written as "White Thorn" and released about 5 years ago. However it is a great read and I've read both, but enjoyed White Thorn more. Bryce was born in South Africa and came here many years ago. Some of his other books should be on that list above and he is Australia's best money earning author. A new comer is Mathew Riley, but all his books are fiction thrillers (great read).

No-one's mentioned Banjo Patterson! Bush balladeer, poet, journalist and writer of 'Waltzing Matilda'.

Oh, and for something more up to date what about books by Clive James...

The Secret River by Kate Grenville which I included in my list of novels is a fictionalised account of how one of the author's great grandparents came to be transported from London to Australia - the judgement of the court which tried him for theft.

It occurs to me that you might like to read an historical account of that period in the establishment of Australia.
The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes is one I would recommend and I am sure there are many others.

Hi I agree with a previous posting Banjo Patterson, he wrote some great poems of life in Australia, he lived from1864 to 1941 and his classic "Waltzing Matilda" is the unofficial Australian national Anthem.

I just took out of my bookcase a book titled Banjo Patterson Favourites published viking Penguin Books Australia first published 1992, in fact this book was given to our son Craig by his Godparents on his Confirmation Day. That indicates the importance of Banjo Patterson to Australians.

I suggest you Google up some of his poems, it will give you an insight to the heart of Australians.

Waltzing Matilda
The Man from Snowy River
The Man from Ironbark
A Bush Christening
Saltbush Bill
Father Riley's HorseAn Evening In Dandaloo
A Dog's Mistake
A Bush ChChristening
Clancy of the Overflow

Enjoy
Mike

Should read as

Father Riley's Horse

An Evening in Dandaloo

For a great insight into Australia's north try books by authors like Bill Harney, Ernestine Hill and Xavier Herbert.

I'm a big fan of Bryce Courtenay too, Sirgaw.

Although it's not a book about Australia in particular (but rather Bryce's Australian-born son) I've read it twice and cried all the way through both times.

"April Fool's Day"

One book and one book only!

Bill Bryson's 'In a Sunburned Country'!!!

He's a great travel writer and provides history, culture, humour, and touristy tidbits...it's hard to put this book down.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/bb_title/display.pperl?isbn=9780767903868

All the Rivers Run by Nancy Cato is a particular favourite of mine. It really gives a good insight albeit fictional, to this land of ours known for its droughts and flooding rains. There was also an excellent mini series made of it some years back which is now available on DVD. I think you could get it on Amazon.com. It really is very entertaining and true to life Australiana.

Hi

For Banjo Patterson try this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo_Paterson

Good Luck,
Mike

Michael mentioned Bill Bryson. He's a very funny Author and I really enjoyed his book 'Down Under'.

When we were in Darwin in May this year I bought a book called 101 Adventures that got me absolutely nowhere by Phil O'Brien. The book is only 199 pages ..... but definately a 'must read'. Phil's adventures in the outback are entertaining, funny and hard to put down till you've finished reading :o)

Totally recommendable!

Cheers, Ann :o)

An interesting autobiography to add to the list is "From Strength to Strength" by Sara Henderson. The story of this lady's life having married an Amercian shipping magnate, and moving with him to "Bullo River" in the Northern Territory, living in a tin shack in a million acres of red dust on a cattle station, and how she managed life there after her husband's death. A good read. She went on the be named "business woman of the year" in 1991.

Just to be pedantic, Bullo River station is definitely not a million acres. It's one of the smallest stations in the area and is less than 200,000 acres. But I wouldn't call it "red dust". It's got quite a variety of landscapes and soil types. Maybe Sara liked to dramatise and exaggerate a bit.

Maybe she did. The bit about the red dust & the million acres are on the back cover of the book.
I still found it an enjoyable read. She died of breast cancer a few years ago didn't she?

First of all thank you very much to all of you , I couldnīt imagine that I should get such an answer from you
You gave me a lot of home work , first to find the books , that is not an easy task in Spain and then to read some of them
They are helping us to understand better your country and your culture
Muchas Gracias !!!!!!

Note : In our Australia page we have included a list of the recommended books ,in case that it may be useful to somebody

Muchas Gracias !!!!
Thank you!!!!

If you are visiting Darwin, the book I mentioned '101 Adventures that got me absolutely nowhere' is at the Darwin Museum & Art Gallery :o)

Betty, maybe it was the publishers and not Sara then. I haven't read the book. Have met some of the family. It became a bit 'dysfunctional' with a lot of infighting. But they seem to be doing reasonably well with the tourism side of the property.

Hi Zig,
I also wondered if maybe when they hit rock bottom they had to sell off chunks of the property to keep afloat?.